Northeast Florida Area Hospitals Go Smoke-Free on Nov. 20

Jacksonville, Florida, November 19, 2008 -- The Great American Smokeout on November 20 will also be the day that Northeast Florida hospitals prohibit the use of tobacco products on their campuses.

Hospitals joining the ban are Baptist Medical Center/Baptist Heart Hospital, Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Baptist Medical Center South, Brooks Rehabilitation, Memorial Hospital, Orange Park Medical Center, Shands Jacksonville, Specialty Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital and Wolfson Children's Hospital.

Mayo Clinic and St. Vincent's Medical Center are already smoke-free and have joined the group in support.

Secondhand smoke is a recognized contributor to illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 90 percent of nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to secondhand smoke. One whiff contains at least 40 chemicals known to cause cancer, and the American Lung Association attributes about 3,400 lung cancer deaths each year to secondhand smoke. The American Heart Association estimates that secondhand smoke may cause as many as 69,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers yearly.

For those who smoke and want to quit, assistance will be offered in supporting their efforts. Information is available at www.dchd.net.